Rating CM Punk’s Finest WWE Moments of 2024

CM Punk may have simply hung up his boots for a second time following his unceremonious exit from All Elite Wrestling in September 2023.

The Second Metropolis Saint as an alternative turned the wrestling world the other way up by making a stunning return to WWE after virtually 10 years away at that 12 months’s installment of Survivor Sequence.

Punk then went on to have one of many hottest years of his profession. Regardless of being out injured for a majority of it, he stayed related via semi-regular Uncooked appearances, glorious mic work and charming storylines.

Along with his subsequent match set for Uncooked’s Netflix premiere on Jan. 6 in opposition to Seth Rollins, there is not any telling how a lot higher of a 12 months he’ll have in 2025 and past, particularly if championship gold is in his quick future.

Punk stays a recurring spotlight on WWE programming and has helped the corporate do large enterprise since he is been again. Potential packages with Roman Reigns, Gunther and Cody Rhodes guarantee he has much more left to do earlier than he decides to name it quits.

From wars of phrases to bitter acts of revenge, the next are Punk’s finest WWE moments of 2024 ranked.

The intense setback Punk suffered within the males’s Royal Rumble match did not deter him within the slightest. As an alternative, whereas recovering from his torn triceps, he maintained a presence on Uncooked by often showing to take pictures on the man liable for sidelining him, Drew McIntyre.

Top-of-the-line examples of this occurred on Night time 2 of the 2024 WWE draft, shortly after he was chosen forward of the Scot by the purple model.

Whereas an irate McIntyre watched from afar, Punk sat within the ring and took credit score for injuring his rival’s elbow weeks earlier. He additionally made it clear that The Scottish Warrior gave him goal by placing him on the shelf.

“Losers hope issues occur, losers pray for issues to occur,” The Finest within the World stated. “Winners make it occur.”

Punk then promised to make McIntyre’s life a dwelling hell as soon as he was cleared to compete, although he would not have to attend for much longer to attain a measure of revenge.

His quick and candy, but fiery and efficient promo served as a reminder of simply how proficient of a talker he’s and at all times has been.

One among Punk’s few appearances on SmackDown in 2024 got here on the June 21 version, the place he was marketed to look in his hometown of Chicago within the wake of costing McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time at Conflict on the Fort.

Nevertheless, his white-hot homecoming was interrupted by Paul Heyman, somebody who performed a pivotal function in giving Punk his first large break in WWE.

The Wiseman suggested his former protégé to go away the ring to keep away from enduring a Bloodline beatdown led by the brand new self-professed Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa.

In typical Punk vogue, he refused to again down and was ultimately aided by fellow AEW alum Cody Rhodes. McIntyre later brutally attacked The Second Metropolis Saint backstage, dragging his unconscious physique into the sector and stealing the bracelet he wore on his wrist along with his spouse and canine’s names engraved on it.

Punk and Heyman’s emotional reunion resulted in The Bloodline exiling The Wiseman the next week and was, in fact, revisited throughout Survivor Sequence season. For a decade, it appeared virtually unfathomable that they’d ever share the ring once more, so their temporary embrace on this evening was a surreal visible for longtime viewers.

From the second he resurfaced at Survivor Sequence, Punk was instantly thought-about a high favourite to win the 2024 males’s Royal Rumble match and advance to WrestleMania 40 for a world title alternative.

The one different front-runner was Cody Rhodes, who was trying to win his second straight Rumble forward of “ending his story” and beating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Common Championship at The Present of Exhibits.

Punk beforehand confronted off with one other potential Rumble winner in McIntyre on Uncooked, however his confrontation with The American Nightmare hit more durable given their shared historical past and respective causes for desirous to headline ‘Mania.

Punk acknowledged Rhodes’ ascent to fundamental occasion standing and praised his progress as a performer whereas additionally establishing that he supposed to carry nothing again within the Rumble.

After The Second Metropolis Saint referred to himself because the true “son of a plumber,” Rhodes responded by mentioning that Punk left WWE on a whim 10 years earlier and did not hassle to cross the torch on the best way out.

Whilst a beloved babyface, Punk was the proper foil for the equally in style Rhodes. Their section concurrently added to the thrill surrounding the Rumble and created real doubt over the end result.

A feud between the 2 has but to come back to fruition, however take into account the seeds planted.

By Unhealthy Blood, the WWE viewers had seen just about every little thing Punk and McIntyre needed to provide of their feud. The stage was set for the large blow-off inside Hell in a Cell and it appeared as if there wasn’t something left for both man to say within the weeks previous the pay-per-view.

Punk then minimize his strongest promo since returning to the corporate.

Whereas addressing his archrival on the Sept. 16 version of Uncooked, he spoke in a somber tone and revealed that he agreed to the sinister stipulation in opposition to his spouse and household’s needs, solely so he may settle his rating with The Scottish Warrior as soon as and for all.

He vowed McIntyre must kill him with a purpose to beat him and that he was ready for his coronary heart to cease beating if it meant there was an opportunity he may put him in his rear view.

For as dramatic of a decree because it was, Punk was at his perfect throughout this section and was profitable in promoting any followers who might have been on the fence about whether or not this was certainly the tip of the highway for his or her rivalry.

Months of scratching, clawing and complaining led McIntyre to his first world title win since 2021 when he beat Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on Night time 2 of WrestleMania 40.

Nevertheless, that second was immediately ruined by Damian Priest, who efficiently cashed in his Cash within the Financial institution briefcase on the Scot following an help from Punk.

That apparently wasn’t sufficient to fulfill The Second Metropolis Saint, although.

McIntyre earned himself one other alternative on the prestigious prize on his residence turf in Scotland at Conflict on the Fort. Regardless of nonetheless being a heel, he was perceived as a complete babyface in entrance of a raucous crowd.

They had been able to witness the crowning of a brand new champ, at the very least till the referee was knocked out and Punk slid into the ring carrying the signature striped shirt to switch him.

Punk minimize the depend quick at two (a brilliantly executed digital camera shot from behind) and hit McIntyre with a low blow earlier than The Scottish Warrior may register what had occurred. Priest capitalized and retained his title, a lot to the chagrin of the group.

This Scotland “screwjob” took their already-intense feud to the following stage.

Roman Reigns, The Usos and Sami Zayn put their variations apart for the betterment of The Bloodline to wage conflict with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu heading into Survivor Sequence.

Discovering themselves outnumbered as soon as Sikoa recruited Bronson Reed to affix them for WarGames, Reigns and Co. weren’t left with many choices.

All indicators pointed to Seth Rollins getting over his hatred of Reigns and agreeing to crew with him at Survivor Sequence, the identical website of The Defend’s debut a dozen years earlier. Earlier than he may reunite with Reigns, a returning Punk swooped in on the final minute to steal the spot.

Punk was final seen profitable his Hell in a Cell match with McIntyre at Unhealthy Blood on October 5 and had zero reference to The Bloodline at that time, however he later revealed his resolution was made out of loyalty to his longtime advocate, Paul Heyman.

Following Punk’s WarGames win, he hinted at Heyman owing him a favor that he has but to money in on. Moreover, anticipation builds for the inevitable Punk vs. Reigns rivalry.

Punk is at all times in his aspect at any time when he as a microphone in his arms, and little or no appears to be off limits.

That was particularly evident throughout his heated confrontation with Rollins and McIntyre on the March 25 version of Uncooked.

Rollins and McIntyre had been two weeks out from their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40, but the main target was solely on their mutual disdain for Punk. He retaliated with some pictures of his personal and had the Chicago crowd utterly behind him.

The fabric from all three males was super, however even higher was the natural vibe of the section. Nothing of what they stated or how they stated it felt manufactured within the slightest.

The one physicality got here on the finish when Rollins laid out McIntyre with a Curb Stomp. In any other case, their biting phrases for one another stole the section.

Whereas the construct for Rollins vs. McIntyre left loads to be desired, followers had been at the very least left trying ahead to future matches between Punk and Rollins in addition to Punk and McIntyre. Their three-way intertwining feud carried Uncooked for a majority of 2024.

Hell in a Cell was the one acceptable setting for the grand finale of the feud between Punk and McIntyre.

WWE abolishing the same-titled PPV in 2022 resulted within the return of the match coming throughout like a significant occurring. By Unhealthy Blood 2024, it had been over two-and-a-half years since its final installment, and each males assured it might stay as much as the title of the present.

They wasted no time busting one another open and utilizing each weapon at their disposal. Their brutal, bloody affair captivated the viewers and featured numerous callbacks to their year-long rivalry.

McIntyre was at his most ruthless whereas Punk put forth his finest efficiency but in his second stint with WWE. Refusing to fall to the Scot, The Finest within the World shoved the beads from his bracelet down his rival’s throat earlier than ending him off with a skull-crushing GTS.

Even after so a few years away from the squared circle, Punk proved that “Finest within the World” was greater than a moniker.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham “GSM” Matthews, has specialised in sports activities and leisure writing since 2010. Go to his web site, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for extra wrestling-related content material.